Ware O Mamoru
by Cherry Blossom
Summary: Uh...I have NO idea what this is, okay? Just...read and try to figure it out. Ware O Mamoru means watch over me or something. My translation isn't that good.
1. Ware o Mamoru

Cherry Blossom: New series! Whoo hoo!!

Heero: ::rolls eyes:: Great. What's _this_ one about? 

Cherry Blossom: Actually I…haven't figured that out quite…yet.

Trowa: You're writing a story, and you don't know what it's about. 

Cherry Blossom: When you put it _that_ way…no.

Quatre: ::sigh:: This is gonna be a looooong day.

Matteo: Actually only Duo needs to stay. You guys don't come in until later.

Duo: Aw, man! Why is it always meeeeeeeeeeee?

Wufei: Buahahahahaha!! See you later Maxwell.

Heero: Don't worry. We won't wait up for you.

Duo: Smeg.

Matteo: Let's get started.

Disclaimer: I am poor. Therefore I own nothing and you should not waste your time suing me. 

Warnings: Um…I don't have any yet. Just don't be surprised if this turns out to be weird and cheesy.

Ware O Mamoru – Part 1- Welcomed Darkness

It was quite a warm night for September. Silver-tipped clouds hazily obscured the sickly-green paleness of the moon and the air was filled with a stillness that reverberated through the city. It was the type of night that lulled you to sleep with its laziness, which, admittedly, wasn't a very good thing for various OZ troops who were supposed to be guarding the East compound. At post #2, two guards went on break, stretching wearily and complaining bitterly about the total lack of excitement associated with their job. At post 3#, one soldier checked the safety on his gun for about the millionth time, reflecting on how this was his very first night shift and he'd better not blow it. At post #1, one guard yawned and closed his eyes, just for a moment, letting the silence envelop his mind. Amid the stillness, one mildly pissed off Shinigami slipped into the shadows of the compound.

'This was supposed to be my night off. But noooooo. I get a mission. I get to creep around a guarded compound and risk my neck while that slacker Yuy gets to stay home and relax. No rest for the God of Death. And the worst part is, I had to leave my buddy Deathscythe at home 'cause Howard wasn't done with repairs yet. Too bad Heero wouldn't let me borrow Wing.'

Duo smiled as he remembered the exact look on Heero's face when he asked him. His eyes had widened and he had gone two shades paler. It was the most expression Duo had ever seen the pilot have. Duo took a deep breath and pressed himself close to the gray stone wall that separated him from the center of the compound. He quickly peeked around the corner and assessed the situation. One guard, half asleep on the right side. Two security cameras, one facing east, the other facing west. No alarms, or at least, no visible alarms.

'Guess it's time to see if I've lost my edge.'

Coming in at an angle that obscured him from the video cameras' view, Duo crept up behind the sleepy soldier and gave him a good whack in the back of his neck. The guy slunk to the floor silently, out cold.

"Nighty-night," Duo whispered to the soldier. Then he swept off the pack that dangled over his shoulder and brought out a square black box.

He opened the lid to display a highly effective explosives unit. Duo whistled softly as he connected the wires and set the timer.

"G really knows his stuff. This'll blow the whole building sky high. I'll just give myself some time to get safely away from here when it does. 15 minutes ought to do it."

Placing the explosive on the ground at his feet, Duo slung the pack back over his shoulder and turned his attention to getting the fuck out of this place and maybe getting some _sleep_.

A sudden shuffling noise assaulted his ears and Duo winced as he pulled back into the shadows. 

'Damn guards. They always come when they're not wanted.'

The footsteps sounded closer and Duo could just make out a voice…

"Come _on_ Stas! Hurry up! We need to get back soon or Leah will skin us alive."

Duo froze. That was no soldier. That was a kid's voice. There was a kid in a building that was all set to blow in about 15 minutes.

'Shit. This is not my day.'

Duo slid against the wall to blend into the darkness and moved slowly towards the source of the voice. 

"I'm working as fast as I can. They changed the system on me. I can't get the codes figured out. I need a few more minutes, kay?"

"Just hurry up, will ya?"

Two. There were two kid's voices. Two kids in a factory about to blow sky high.

'Shit, shit, shit!'

Duo slipped around the corner, making sure he was well hidden. In the darkness he could barely make out the two dark figures that were bending over a counsel at the far end of the room. Both were female, and small. 

'They can't be more then ten years old. What are they _doing_ here?'

"Come _on_, Stasya. The guards are gonna come back soon. We need to get out of here, now," one of the girls exclaimed, looking around her, nervously. 

"Would you like to do this?" the second girl, Stasya, sneered back, her fingers flying over the keyboard. "'Cause you can go right ahead."

"Don't be stupid. You know I'm no good at hacking."

"Then shut up and let me finish—a ha!"

After a few more clicks, Stasya smiled triumphantly and said, "Done."

"You got it?"

"Of _course_ I got it. What else could 'done' mean? Honestly, Rhi, you're so dense sometimes."

"Just pop the stupid disk and let's get out of here before they catch on."

"Right."

Both girls turned towards the doorway and Duo breathed a sigh of relief. They were leaving. With only ten minutes left to go.

"Hold it right there!"

Duo froze for the second time. 

'That was no child'.

Slowly, he turned his head towards the doorway. An OZ soldier was pointing a nasty looking rifle at the two girls, a sneer on his face.

"What are you two doing in here? Who are you?"

Rhi had the good sense to look scared. She searched the counsel behind her for some sort of weaponry. There was none to be found. Stasya, on the other hand, didn't look the least bit afraid. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared menacingly at the soldier. 

"We're not telling you anything, pig. So why don't you just go to hell."

"Stasya!"

The OZ soldier's sneer turned into a scowl as he raised the rifle.

"Why you little—"

The phrase was interrupted by the impact of Duo's foot slamming into the soldier's face. He dropped immediately and Duo wiped imaginary dust from his hands in satisfaction.

"I am _so_ good."

The girls were staring up at Duo with equally terrified expressions on their faces. Duo held out his hands in a gesture of goodwill and said,

"Hey now. I'm not gonna hurt ya."

"Look out!" one of the girls cried, and hand flinging out to point at something behind Duo's left shoulder. 

Duo started to turn around but was interrupted by the sensation of something hard slamming into his shoulder. A strange burning infused throughout his body and the image of the floor rushing up to meet him was the last thing he saw as his world went black.

To be continued???

Duo: What the hell? I've been in one chapter and I've already been shot?

Cherry Blossom: Don't complained to me. Matteo's the one working this operation.

Matteo: I had to move the plot.

Duo: What plot?!

Matteo: The one that's…going to be explained in the next part…hopefully.

Cherry Blossom: With our luck no body will read this and we won't _need_ a next part.

Duo: Oh they'll read. ::tries for a threatening look but ends up only glaring kawaii-ly::

Matteo: Only one way to tell if we should continue.

Cherry Blossom: And that's to send money! I'll take cash or cheques or credit cards or—

Matteo: No, no, no. We need them to review.

Cherry Blossom: ::looks confused:: No money?

Matteo: Well, maybe a little.

Cherry Blossom: Jaa!!! 


	2. Ware o Mamoru - The Entrance to Eden

Cherry Blossom: This is so weird.

Duo: I agree. How come I'm always getting shot or hurt in your stories?

Cherry Blossom: 'Cause you're my favorite.

Duo: O.o;;;

Quatre: Are we in this chapter?

Cherry Blossom: Nope.

Wufei: Are we ever going to be in this fic?

Cherry Blossom: I…think so.

Trowa: ::sigh:: Well call us when our part comes in.

Matteo: Let's get to it. 

Disclaimer: I don't own GW. But I own the other characters so please don't use them without my permission…not that you'd want to.

Warnings: Um…this is weird. And this chapter doesn't really involve the pilots. Made-up original characters. AU maybe? Read the first part or you won't understand anything. Not that you'll understand it anyway O.o;;; 

Ware o Mamoru – Part 2 – The entrance to Eden

Rhi watched the bullet rip through the soft tissues of the man's shoulder as he tumbled awkwardly to the floor in a dead faint. She gave out a strangled cry before turning her attention to the person who had fired the gun. The figure was shadowed in the darkness of the room and his face, if it was a he, was effectively hidden. Rhi stepped in front of Stasya, wanting to protect the younger girl. Stasya would have none of it. She dodged around Rhi's outstretched arm and walked towards the armed figure shouting, "What did you do _that_ for?"

The figure lowered the gun and stepped closer. As the pale light from the counsel washed over his features, Rhi saw, to her surprise, a familiar face.

"Gilly?"

"Did I get him?" the boy asked, looking down at the body that lay crumpled on the ground before him.

"What are you doing here?" Stasya yelled. 

"Looking for you," the boy retorted. "The elders were worried that you wouldn't get the job done so they sent me to help. And it's a good thing too. This guy was just about to corner you."

"You idiot! That's not an OZ soldier! He saved us from the other guy who was going to shoot us," Stasya shouted, gesturing to the unconscious guard lying next to Duo.

"Oops…"

"Oops is right. You're such a moron sometimes, Gilly."

"We don't have time for this," said Rhi as she knelt by Duo's side, pressing her fingers to the wound to staunch the flow of blood. "We have to get him to Leah. She'll know what to do."

Gilly shook his head vehemently. "You know the rules. No Outsiders allowed in Eden. We _can't_ bring him back to Leah."

"We _have_ to bring him back to Leah. He saved us. There's a rule about that, too, remember. When someone saves your life then you're in their debt," Rhi argued.

"And since you're the one that shot him," continued Stasya. "You have to help us carry him out. So get your butt over here and take his other foot."

Gilly grumbled bitterly to himself but he came over and lifted the braided man's right leg while Stasya lifted the left and Rhi hooked her arms under his armpits and raised him up.

Gilly groaned at the sudden weight and said, "He's heavier then he looks."

"Quit…complaining…and start…walking," Stasya gasped back and they proceeded to drag him out of the room and off the grounds of the compound.

"I can't believe that we haven't been caught yet," said Rhi as they passed a strangely deserted guard post.

"We will be if you don't hurry the hell up," Stasya growled.

"Watch your language," Gilly lectured.

"Shut up."

"No, you shut up."

"ALL of you shut up."

It was a miracle that they got out of there at all with all the noise they were making. But OZ was having a particularly incompetent night and no one spotted the slow-moving group at all.

When everyone was a good distance away from the compound, Gilly declared a rest stop and they paused to catch their breath and let Rhi wrap Duo's shoulder in a make-shift bandage ripped from Stasya's vest.

Gilly made a big show out of examining Duo's wound and decided ultimately, "He 's gonna die."

"No he's not, it's only a flesh wound," Rhi pointed out.

"Just because you're a year older then me doesn't mean you know anything, Rhi."

"She knows more then you, idiot."

"Oh yeah?" Gilly glared at Stasya, ready for a fight.

"Stop it you two. We don't need this right now," Rhi scolded.

Gilly and Stasya continued to glare at each other for a little while longer before Gilly flung himself on the grass and said, "I wonder what he was doing at the compound anyway?" 

Suddenly a loud explosion sounded through the air and the entire base was consumed in a giant fireball. The three children stared at the chaos, mouths open in shock.

"Does that answer your question?" Stasya asked smugly.

Gilly nodded, not wanting to venture words. He looked down at the braided man with new respect. 

"That guy is cool."

Rhi tightened the knot on Duo's bandage and said, "That's enough rest. We'd better get home. Leah's going to freak out if she hears about the explosion before we get back."

The rest of the children nodded in agreement and they picked up Duo and dragged him through the fields, being extra careful not to leave a blood trail behind them. No one must follow them into Eden.

Rhi slipped down through the trap door, careful not to bang the limp body she was holding up against the wall. As she stepped down on the decaying stairs the wood creaked and whined, sending clouds of sawdust scuttling across the floor. The old theater had been abandoned centuries ago and was long forgotten by the inhabitants of the city that surrounded it. Beneath the stage, however, was an extensive network of carefully planned out tunnels and interconnecting rooms that were probably the pride and joy of some long dead. This labyrinth, although a bit musty, was the beloved shelter of the children. For most it was the only home they could remember. Gilly and Stasya towed Duo through the passages while Rhi brought a flashlight out of her pocket and walked ahead, lighting the path for the other children. They soon reached a large steel door. Rhi switched off her flashlight and knocked three times, the sound echoing off the stone walls of the maze. Slowly, a small window-section of the door drew open and two eyes blinked out.

"We are the forgotten," A muffled voice from behind the door intoned.

"We are the lost," Rhi replied.

"We are the ones who remain," they continued in unison and the great door swung open to reveal a skinny, red-haired boy with large owlish blue eyes, obscured behind a pair of thick lenses that drooped precariously on the end of his nose.

"I'm glad you're back Rhi," the boy exclaimed. "Leah was getting worried. We heard about the explosion on the radio and…hey! Who's that?"

"We don't have time to explain, Jase. Where's Leah?" Stasya asked.

"In the war room," Jase said absently. "That's where she _always_ is. Is that an Outsider? I bet it is. Oh, you guys are going to be in so much trouble! It's against the rules to bring an Outsider into Eden."

"Shut up," Gilly snapped, dragging Duo in the direction of the war room with Rhi and Stasya following close behind.

"Hey wait! You're not allowed in there! Leah said so," Jase called after them.

Ignoring this, Rhi flung open the door to the war room and stepped inside. The room was large and almost completely bare. The only furniture was a small table in one corner of the room where several yellowed papers lay in a messy pile. In the middle of the room a tall, willowy figure crouched in a fighting stance, her long black hair tied back securely in several braids, her bare arms tanned brown in the dim light. She faced another, slightly taller figure who was also in battle stance, his short and spiky brown hair falling messily into his eyes. Neither of them moved. Suddenly, the boy lunged forward, swinging his left arm out for a quick jab. The girl sidestepped the attack gracefully and aimed a kick at the boy's midsection. The boy blocked the kick with his knee and came back with a punch aimed for the girl's head. At the last possible second the girl dropped to floor under his punch and spun her leg around, tripping her opponent and bringing him to the ground successfully and pining him with her knees.

"You're still way too slow, Teo-chan. I got you easily that time," the girl scolded as she stood.

"Sorry," the boy mumbled, allowing the girl to help him to his feet. "I let myself get distracted. It won't happen again."

"Leah!" blurted Stasya. "We've got something to show you."

The girl turned to regard the children with a piercing stare.

"What is the meaning of this interruption?" she asked.

Before Stasya had a chance to reply, Rhi stepped forward and said, "We're sorry for intruding Leah, but this is important. A man needs our help. Gilly shot him."

"It was an accident," Gilly protested sourly.

"Shot who?" the boy called Teo interrupted.

The children stepped back to display the unconscious braided form lying on the ground behind them.

"An Outsider!" Teo gasped. "You've brought an Outsider into Eden! Do you have any idea what you've done?"

The children flinched under the harsh stare of the raven-haired girl and shuffled their feet nervously.

"He saved us," Stasya said. "We couldn't just leave him there to die."

"Please understand," Rhi pleaded.

Leah sighed heavily and said, "Rhi, you and Teo take him to Nitta. She'll be able to do something about that shoulder. The rest of you come with me. I'm calling a counsel meeting. I want to know exactly what happened at that compound."

Rhi smiled gratefully and she and Teo lifted the body and carted him off to Nitta's infirmary. Stasya and Gilly followed meekly behind Leah as she went to gather the rest of the counsel. 

As they came out of the room Jase peered at them curiously and asked, "Well? Are you in big trouble?"

Gilly sneered at him and snapped, "Shut up!"

Stasya growled half-heartedly but, inside, she felt slightly sick.

Leah's gonna kill us.

To be continued?

Duo: I was unconscious this entire chapter. What's up with that?

Cherry Blossom: Sorry. I had to do it.

Duo: Riiiight.

Cherry Blossom: No really, Matteo made me.

Duo: Now I see why you wanted to do this fic so much, "Teo".

Matteo: ::blinks innocently:: I don't know _what_ you're talking about.

Cherry Blossom: Shame on you Matteo! Self-insertions are the Mary-Sue's spawn.

Matteo: Hhmph. And who exactly is "Leah" modeled after? 

Cherry Blossom: Is my name Leah? Nooooooo. 

Matteo: Raven-black hair my ass.

Cherry Blossom: Language!

Duo: What's with all the new characters?

Cherry Blossom: I'm trying to get my own gang going. Don't worry they'll be an actual plot soon. Or not. Depending on how many people want me to continue.

Duo: Review!

Matteo: Or suffer!

Cherry Blossom: Don't forget to send money ^__^


	3. Ware o Mamoru - The Outsider

Cherry Blossom: Well here we are. This thing just keeps getting weirder.

Duo: I agree. Am I even awake in this chapter?

Cherry Blossom: Um…for a while…

Trowa: Are we in it yet?

Cherry Blossom: No. But I _promise_ to include you guys in the next chapter, kay?

Wufei: Yippie. Jump for joy. Clap hands.

Matteo: Right. Let's get on with it. 

Disclaimer: Don't own GW. No really, I don't. Seriously. I'm not kiddin' you. But I do own all the other characters.

Warning: This is weird. And it includes a lot of original characters. Annnd…plot furtherment! Yay! But I'm still going to need another chapter to explain everything. This won't make a whole lot of sense if you haven't read the first few parts yet. Hell, it might not even make sense if you have! O.o;;;

Ware o Mamoru – Part 3 – The Outsider

"She did WHAT?!"

Leah sighed and drummed her fingers impatiently on the tabletop. The counsel meeting had been called and all the elders were now present and staring in shock at the two guilty culprits who had somehow managed to commit the worst crime in the book. Leah had only said that there was an Outsider in Eden and already a panicked chatter had infiltrated the room, started by one person in particular. Leah found herself wishing that _she_ had gone with the Outsider and Rhi to Nitta's infirmary instead of Teo. He was so much better at public speaking then her. But no, the people counsel her to be the one to tell them of any important problems. 

__

'Sometimes being the leader sucks.'

All this commotion was wasting time. And if there was one thing Leah couldn't stand, it was wasting time.

"You know how much I hate to repeat myself Jakko," she said, coolly, hoping to calm the rest of the group down a bit. 

The blond-haired youth bit his lip in an effort to control the outburst that was just begging to cross his lips.

"I'm sorry Leah, " he started, apologetically. "But I'm finding it hard to believe what I'm hearing. Letting in an Outsider breaks the cardinal rule of Eden."

"Believe it. The guy's getting himself checked out by Nitta at the moment. We've got to decide what to do." 

Jakko glared at Gilly and Stasya and said, "I'd like to know how this happened."

Gilly looked down at his feet in shame. Stasya stared right back at Jakko, not willing to let him intimidate her. 

Leah brushed some strands of long black hair out of her face and replied, "Yes. I'd like to know that as well. Why don't you tell us about it, Stas?"

Stasya felt all eyes turn to her and she gulped noisily before beginning her story.

"Well…you all know that I was sent on a mission to collect data from that new base down by Lake Chesla, right?"

Various nods around the room confirmed this fact and Stasya summoned the courage to continue.

"Rhi came along with me as a look-out and we infiltrated the base no problem."

Stasya stopped to glance at Leah for a moment and said, "You were right about the lax security, Leah. The base was practically empty."

Leah nodded and replied, "Warm nights in the fall are killer for late night guards. Especially hazy nights like this one. I knew that OZ soldiers would be no different. But, please, continue Stasya."

"The problems came when I was trying to hack into the system. They changed the codes on me. I had to try some tricky stuff to even get past the primary blocks."

"Did you succeed?" Jakko cut in, anxiously.

Stasya nodded, looking vaguely insulted at the question.

"Of course. But it took me a while and a guard managed to sneak up on us. We were about done for until the guy...the Outsider cams along. He took him out before we could even blink. He's really good."

"What was he doing there at the base?" Leah asked, curious, despite herself.

Gilly grinned and replied, "Don't worry. He's definitely not with OZ. He must have been setting explosives when we interrupted him. The whole place went ka-boom about 10 minutes after we left."

"Interrupted?"

"Gilly shot him," Stasya piped up.

"It was an accident!" Gilly protested.

Stasya roll her eyes theatrically. "A stupid accident" 

Gilly glared daggers at her, which she ignored blithely.

"Let me see if I've got this straight," Jakko said, slowly, accenting each word. "You and Rhi were sent to get some information but you got careless and a guard caught you. Some guy just jumped out of nowhere and saved you but the Gilly shot him and you decided to bring him back here."

Gilly squirmed in his seat and said, "Well, when you put it that way…yes."

"How could you be so stupid?!" Jakko roared, bolting out of his chair and clenching his hand into a fist, menacingly. 

"Calm down," Leah ordered, placing a restraining hand on Jakko's arm and forcing him back into his seat. "They did what they thought was right. Remember that a person that saves someone else's life is owed a life-debt. Whoever this guy is, he _did_ save Rhi and Stasya. And he's not an enemy if he's going around blowing up OZ bases in his spare time."

"How do you know? We have no idea who this guy is. He could be Trieze Kushranada's nephew for all we know."

Leah rolled her eyes, more than a little impatient with her fellow counsel member.

"I highly doubt that this guy is Kushranada's nephew. However if it makes you feel better then I will talk with him personally and find out."

Jakko's eyes grew wide with shock. "Don't tell me you're planning on letting him live? It's too dangerous! He's seen Eden!"

Leah's black eyes flashed dangerously and she smacked her hands down on the table.

"He hasn't seen anything yet. He's unconscious, remember? Besides, I'm not into the habit of killing potential allies. He could be very useful to us."

"You're getting soft, Leah," Jakko hissed. "You're forgetting your training and becoming far too trusting. It will be your downfall."

Leah's eyes narrowed and all activity in the room seemed to stop. The silence was thick. In an instant, Leah had gotten out of her seat and was now holding the blade of a knife about two centimeters from Jakko's oversized nose. Jakko blinked. He hadn't even seen her move.

"That," Leah whispered. "Sounded like a threat, Jakko-kun. And I don't take too kindly to threats. You had better learn to watch what you say. I am still the leader of this group. If you can't handle that…" Leah moved the knife a bit closer, nearly touching the now scared shitless boy. "Then maybe you should leave. I bet there's loads of people who would love to get their hands on you."

Leah removed the knife and cast her eyes defiantly around the room. The other counsel members didn't look the least bit shocked. They all knew that Jakko had been pushing it from the start. Leah smiled in satisfaction. No one else was willing to object to her leadership. As long as Jakko kept in line there was no reason to worry. 

However, it might be wise to talk to Teo-chan about Jakko's little rebellion later. We wouldn't want an uprising.

One of the other counsel members cleared their throat and looked nervously at Leah's knife before saying, "I understand your reluctance to kill the Outsider. But we can't allow him to go around telling everybody about Eden."

"Who ever said that he was going to be allowed to leave?" Leah blinked innocently. Then while the rest of the counsel members were still mulling that over, she left the room and headed briskly towards the infirmary. 

I want answers. And I'm going to get them.

***************************************************************************************

Duo woke to an impossibly bright white light. It irritated him to no end. He squinted and tried to focus on his surroundings but all her could make out were obscure shapes and shadows. His shoulder hurt. A lot. 

It's what I get for being a nice guy. I really hope I haven't been captured. I can just imagine Heero's face when he realizes that he has to come rescue me _again_.

Duo's reverie was cut short as one of the shadows came nearer. He twisted his body, trying to inch away from it but something was holding him down. Someone was talking to him but he couldn't make out the words. Everything was jumbled and confused. Then a cool touch on his shoulder made him pause. His wound throbbed angrily and the touch was soothing. Duo blinked his eyes furiously, hoping to clear his clouded vision. All of a sudden, the cool hand on his shoulder got uncomfortably hot…and then unbearably hot. Duo managed to cry out as a flash of white-hot pain made spots dance behind his eyes and he fell into a deep darkness, for the second time that night.

***************************************************************************************

"Is he going to be okay, Nitta?" Rhi asked, looking nervously at the expression of pain on her would-be savior's face.

A tiny and particularly tired looking girl with soft blond curls and wide blue eyes pursed her lips in consideration and said, "I think so. Just hold him down, Teo and I'll see what I can do."

Teo nodded and increased his pressure on Duo's arms. Nitta took a deep breath and an intense look of concentration crossed her face. She reached out a hand and covered the gunshot would on the Duo's shoulder gingerly. The boy seemed to still at her touch and Nitta took the opportunity to press harder. A strange golden light seemed to emanate from her hand and the wound glowed an angry red. The boy stiffened and jerked around on the table, causing Teo to tighten his hold and Rhi to cry out in surprise. Nitta kept up a steady pressure as the glow in her hands changed in colour to a vibrant green. Nitta bit her lip and beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. She focused all her attention on the wound and slowly, the bullet was drawn out. The boy cried out as the offending piece of metal clattered on the ground and he was suddenly still.

"He's fainted," Rhi exclaimed.

"Good," said Nitta. "It will make my job a lot easier."

She flexed her fingers and the blue glow increased until the ragged edges of the wound knit back together leaving smooth pink skin. Nitta released Duo's shoulder and fell back, gasping for breath. Teo caught her and sat her down quickly.

"Rhi, bring some water!" Teo commanded.

"I'm okay," Nitta smiled. "It just takes a lot out of me. I'm going to need a nap. But he'll be okay now."

Rhi handed the girl a glass of water and watched anxiously as she sipped the contents slowly.

"You're sure he's alright?"

"Yep," Nitta replied, proudly. "I expect he'll be up in an hour. And pretty hungry too. You might want to have some food ready for 'im."

Rhi sighed in relief and looked over at the braided boy on the table. 

"Thanks a bunch Ni-chan. You're the best."

The blond girl laughed and her eyes sparkled mischievously, despite their weary cast.

"But of course," she said. "And don't you forget it. Now if you don't mind terribly Teo-chan, I'd like some help getting back to my room."

Teo nodded and then lifted the small girl in his arms, carrying her easily. Nitta gasped in surprise and then smiled again.

"Don't let Leah catch you doing this Teo-chan. She might think you be cheatin' on her. And I do _not_ want to get on Leah's bad side."

Teo rolled his eyes and replied, "If she does see us she won't say a word and you know it. Leah knows how I feel and she's not the jealous type."

"Whatever you say Teo-chan," Nitta responded, obviously not buying it.

"If you don't mind," Rhi spoke up. "I'd like to stay here a while. Just until he wakes up. I want to thank him for…you know…"

Nitta nodded her head in understanding. "Sure thing sweetie. Just make sure you call one of us when he wakes up. We don't really know what he might do."

Rhi agreed and the two left. Rhi sat down beside the unconscious pilot and sighed.

I really hope that everything will work out okay. We shouldn't have brought you here. But it's too late now for regrets. I don't know what'll happen to us but I'm going to make sure you stay alive. We're bonded now. And I've got a life-debt to pay.

Rhi took the braided boy's cold hand in hers and waited patiently for him to wake up. 

Duo: ::blinks:: What was that?

Matteo: What?

Duo: The whole glowy healing thingie!

Cherry Blossom: Um…I'll explain it in the next chapter, kay?

Duo: You'd better. This is weirding me out.

Matteo: Hey, just be thankful you didn't bleed to death.

Duo: Soooooo "Teo-chan", you and "Leah" got something going on? ::hentai leer::

Cherry Blossom: ::whaps Duo with pocketbook::

Duo: Itai!!

Cherry Blossom: Serves ya right, hentai.

Duo: Why me?

Matteo: Review!

    


	4. Ware o Mamoru - Dream Wake

Duo: Wow. You haven't worked on this for a while.

Cherry Blossom: I know. I've been sick. Actually, I'm still sick. That's why I have the time to write this.

Quatre: Poor Cherry. Here have some chicken noodle soup.

Cherry Blossom: Aw, thanks Quattie. You're so sweet.

Wufei: Can we just get on with it?

Duo: Somebody's impatient.

Trowa: Calm down Wufei. You're not even in the story yet.

Wufei: INJUSTICE! I demand to know why I do not have a significant role in this fic!

Trowa: 'Cause you're crabby?

Wufei: You're not in this part either clown boy.

Trowa: ….

Matteo: Can I help it if it doesn't fit?

G-Boyz: YES!

Cherry Blossom: At least Heero gets a cameo. And plus Duo wakes up!

Duo: Well isn't that peachy?

Heero: Just start the stupid fic.

Matteo: STUPID?!

::violence ensues, cut out for the sake of impressionable young otakus everywhere::

Cherry Blossom: Are you guys okay?

Heero: X_X

Matteo: X_X

Cherry Blossom: Medic!

Disclaimer: Don't own GW. No really, I don't. Seriously. I'm not kiddin' you. But I do own all the other characters so don't steal them, kay?

Warning: This is an extremely weird fanfic. And it includes a lot of original characters. Plus it was written under the influence of cough medicine. Not that a computer is heavy machinery or anything…_ This won't make a whole lot of sense if you haven't read the first few parts yet. Hell, it might not even make sense if you have! O.o;;;

Ware o Mamoru – Part 4 – Dream Wake

Heero was worried. No, that wasn't it. The Perfect didn't worry. That was more of a Quatre thing to do. But he was…annoyed. Yes, annoyed. Duo still hadn't come back from his mission. He knew that it was carried out. He had heard about the explosion of the base on the radio and seen the damage on the news. OZ hadn't reported any arrests so they wouldn't have caught Duo. So where was he? Celebrating maybe. But Duo had complained about his lack of sleep lately and Heero doubted that he would be up for a night on the town regardless of his elation at finishing a mission. Besides, he was supposed to come straight back to the safe house and report in, at least call or something! Where the hell was he?

Heero sighed and flipped up the screen on his laptop, quickly running through the codes that hacked into the main system of OZ's central intelligence. He wasn't as clean about it as Duo might have been but his tracks were suitably covered. Unless they were looking for him no one would notice the data transfer. And if they were looking, well…that told him that the mission hadn't gone as smoothly as expected.

No arrests. No captures. No unidentified bodies. No prison records or even contact of higher officers. Nothing. 

Heero growled and cut his connection. He would wait precisely one hour. Then he was going to go look for Duo. Whether he wanted him to or not.

******************************************************************************

Duo groaned and shook off the sleep that had claimed him for a while now. His eyes felt heavy and he couldn't quite lift his head without vertigo making his vision spin dizzily. But his shoulder didn't hurt, surprisingly. Maybe it was just numb. Duo flexed his arm experimentally. When there was no pain he used it as a lever to help him into a half-leaning, half-sitting position. He was in a room, white, sterile-looking. Had he been caught by OZ? There was a strange smell in the air, antiseptic like the hallway of a hospital. Duo didn't like it much. Duo did a once over of his body. Despite the slight dizziness he felt no pain and his limbs seemed to be in perfect working order. He examined his shoulder and almost cried out in shock. There was nothing there. The skin of his shoulder was pink and healthy, not a blemish in sight. As if he never injured it. 

'No way. There's no fucking way. I was shot! I know I was shot. So where's the scar, bullet hole, blood, bandage…anything? Even today's medicine can't heal a shot wound so completely so fast. Just what the hell is going on here?'

"You're awake."
Duo snapped his head around towards the vice that came from behind him, and immediately regretted it. Spots danced before his eyes and the blurring of his vision made him slightly nauseous. He closed his eyes and put a hand to his head.
"You shouldn't tax yourself. It'll be a while before the effects of Nitta's healing wears off. Besides, you need the rest. Getting shot can't be any fun."
"Who are you?" Duo demanded, still trying to focus his eyes on a local vertical.
The voice sounded young, female? He couldn't tell. It didn't seem threatening but then again, one could never be too careful.
"I'll tell you. But first you have to lie back down. You're not well enough to get up yet. Just wait a sec and I'll get Ni-chan to come and bring you some food."
Duo resisted the urge to tell the voice to go to hell, swing his legs over the edge of the table he was lying on and get the fuck out of here. He _was_ very hungry now that he thought about it and he wouldn't have gotten very far anyway. With a sigh, he sank back down onto the table and folded his hands on his chest. Whoever this person was, they didn't seem to be interested in killing him. And his instincts told him to trust them.
__'Follow your emotions, isn't that what Heero is always saying?'
He waited while the person moved over to a small counsel of some sort, small feet padding softly on the floor, and said, "Nitta, this is Rhi. He's up. Bring us some soup will ya? And tell Leah. Thanks."
When the figure finally reappeared by Duo's side he blinked up at her, observing her features closely. She was young, barely more then ten from what he could tell. Her hair was cropped short and it hung in dark brown tendrils around her heart-shaped face with streaks of red dye on the very tips. Her eyes were also dark brown and they regarded Duo seriously. A flash of recognition crossed Duo's face.
__'She's one of the girls from the base I blew up…was going to blow up…what the hell?' 
"Who are you?" he asked again.
The girl seemed to hesitate before answering, almost as if she needed permission to tell him anything. 
"MynameisRhi.YousavedmysisterandmefromthatOZ soldier.We'rereallygratefultoyou.Ioweyoualife-debt.Ihopeyou'reshoulderdoesn'thurt toomuch.ItwasallGilly'sfaultandI'mreallysorry—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down a bit." Duo's head spun. She talked faster then _he_ did, if that was at all possible. He could only pick out a few words from her hastily blurted out speech and struggled to kick his brain into high gear and puzzle them out.
"You said your name was Rhi?"
The girl nodded.
"What's all this about a life-debt? And who's Gilly? And for that matter where the hell are we?"

Rhi opened her mouth but before she could answer, the door clicked open and a group of people swept inside. First came a short girl, about sixteen was Duo's guess, with curly blond hair and a bright smile, complete with dimples. Following her was a serious-looking boy, Duo's age, with spiky brown hair and dark blue eyes. He reminded Duo of Heero in a way. After him came a slim girl with long, long black hair that was gathered into four braids that hung down her back, swishing from side to side as she walked. Her eyes were a cold gray, almost silver. Duo had never seen eyes quite like hers before. The authority with which she carried herself was an indication of power, the leader perhaps? Duo knew that he should watch her for clues as to who she was but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the first girl. It wasn't her looks that drew his attention, although she was pretty in a bubbly schoolgirl kind of way, but the fact that she was carrying what looked like a steaming bowl of soup. Duo's stomach took notice, rather noisily. He blushed sheepishly and rubbed his empty tummy consolingly. 

The blond girl laughed and set the bowl down on a tray beside the table where Duo lay, saying, "Here. Watch it, it's hot. It's chicken noodle and if you don't like it, tough. I can't make any other kind."

"I ain't complaining," Duo said as he dug into the soup with all the air of a starving man. It _was_ awfully hot, but it was also unbelievably good and it warmed Duo's insides and erased the last traces of nausea from his system. "This is great, thanks."

The girl blushed and did a quick curtsy. 

"I'm glad you like it. My name's Nitta, by the way and I'm the resident healer. Let me have a look at your shoulder for a minute."

Duo obliged and while Nitta was busy inspecting it, remarked, " I've been meaning to ask about that. How come my shoulder is a healed? I mean, I _was_ shot there wasn't I?"

"Yep, you were shot all right. Made a nice hole clean all the way through. You didn't lose as much blood as you could have though and it's Rhi's quick thinking you've got to thank for that."

"But why isn't there a hole or a scar or something where the bullet hit?" Duo persisted.

"Nitta's got a gift."

Duo turned to acknowledge the new speaker. The girl, the one with the eyes, was now regarding him with her cold stare. It was mildly disconcerting. He did the only thing he could think of; he gave her a patented Maxwell grin.

"I'm sure she does, Sweetheart but if you don't mind, I'm just a teeny bit confused as to who the hell all you people are."

"Don't call her Sweetheart," the boy growled, stepping forward a little.

Duo grinned wider, a hint of threat in the manic smile. "What's it to you, pal?"

The boy glared at him. "You—"

"It's okay, Teo," The gray-eyed girl said, putting out an arm to restrain the now furious boy. "Why don't you go relieve Coby of guard duty? He's been there a long time and I don't want him getting overtired."

The boy nodded and left the room slowly, his eyes burning hot coals into Duo's back as he went. Duo resisted the urge to stick out his tongue at him.

The other girl, Nitta, let go of his shoulder and said, "Everything looks fine. You should feel good as new in about two hours. Now, if you'll excuse me Leah, I've got to go see to Chiyo."

"Of course," said Leah. "Thanks for all your help Nitta."

"See ya, Ni-chan," Rhi called, waving her hand at the tiny blond nurse who returned the wave and left the room.

Duo saw Leah's eyes soften for just an instant when Rhi waved but it disappeared almost immediately and he couldn't be sure. 

"Rhi, I'd like to speak to the Outsider alone for a while."

"Huh? Oh, sure Leah!" The child leapt to her feet and headed towards the door before turning suddenly and heading back and grasping Duo's hand.

"Wait! Please, before I go, would you tell me your name?"

Duo blinked in surprise but he managed to give the girl a kind smile before replying, "I'm Duo. Duo Maxwell. I may run, I may hide, but I never tell a lie."

"Duo," the girl repeated to herself, as if testing the name on her tongue. "Thanks, Stas will want to know. See you later Duo Maxwell!"

She released his hand quickly and dashed out the door, almost knocking over a tray holding various medical tools in her haste. The girl called Leah shook her head in exasperation and then turned to Duo.

"Now then, Duo Maxwell. Let me tell you all about Eden." 

To Be Continued…

Duo: Are you ever going to explain things?

Matteo: Sure. Next chapter.

Heero: That's what you said _last_ time.

Cherry Blossom: Achoo! ::sniff::

Quatre: Tissue?

Cherry Blossom: ::sniffle:: Thanks. ::blows nose noisily::

Heero: That's it, I'm going home.

Duo: Oh well. At least I'm not unconscious.

Wufei: Matter of opinion…

Duo: ::outraged sputtering noises::

Matteo: Review! Or Cherry will give you her cold.

Cherry Blossom: Trust me, you don't want it. ::cough, hack, cough:: 


End file.
